Packing member and manufacturing method for forming same

ABSTRACT

A packing member includes two pairs of boxes arranged at the two opposite sides of a product respectively. Each pair of boxes cooperatively sandwiches the product therebetween at a corresponding side of the product. Each of the boxes includes a first sidewall, at least a middle sidewall, and a last sidewall being sequentially connected together. The first sidewall connects with the last sidewall to thereby form a through hole enclosed by said sidewalls except two ends of the box. A receiving hole is defined in said sidewalls and communicates with the through hole. The receiving holes of each pair of boxes face toward each other and hold opposite ends of the corresponding side of the product therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to packing members and manufacturingmethods for forming same, and particularly to a hollow inner packingmember and a manufacturing method for forming same.

2. Description of Related Art

In order to avoid being damaged during transit, a product should bepacked. Generally, a packing member includes an outer packing member,and an inner packing member. The outer packing member is usuallyornamental, and the inner packing member acts as a cushioning body,which protects the product.

At present, inner packing members are usually solid. However, the use ofsolid packing members requires too much material.

What is desired, therefore, is a hollow inner packing member which notonly protects the product but is economical as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An exemplary packing member includes a box, which is formed by at leastthree sidewalls being sequentially connected together with a throughhole enclosed by the sidewalls. A receiving hole is defined in at leastone of the at least three sides for receiving an end or corner portionof a product.

Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from thefollowing detailed description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a packing member in accordance with onepreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the packing member of FIG. 1 prior toits being folded for use;

FIGS. 3A to 3E show a process of folding the packing member of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A to 4E are respective side elevational views of FIGS. 3A to 3E;

FIG. 4 is an exploded, isometric view of a pair of packing members ofFIG. 1, together with a product;

FIG. 5 is an assembled view of FIG. 4, together with an outer packingmember; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded, isometric view of four packing members inaccordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention,together with a product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a packing member 1 in accordance with one preferredembodiment of the present invention has a symmetrical shape. The packingmember 1 includes two boxes 14 formed from ends of a connecting section12. The connecting section 12 enhances a shock absorbing quality of thepresent invention and prevents shifting of the boxes 14 when the packingmember 1 is received in a shipping container together with a product.Each box 14 includes a first sidewall 151, which is perpendicularlyconnected along one edge to a corresponding edge of a second sidewall152, which is perpendicularly connected along an opposite edge to acorresponding edge of a third sidewall 153, which is perpendicularlyconnected along an opposite edge to a corresponding edge of a fourthsidewall 154 forming a box open at two opposite ends. Each box 14 has athrough hole 16 cooperatively defined by the second sidewall 152 and thethird sidewall 153. The through hole 16 is for receiving a corner or endportion of a product.

Referring to FIG. 2, a rectangular blank 10 made of corrugatedpaperboard or the like, for manufacturing the packing member 1 is shown.The blank 10 is divided into nine portions delineated by creases definedtherein. The connecting section 12 forms a middle portion of the blank10. Both sides of the connecting section 12 extend four sidewalls. Thefour sidewalls include the first sidewall 151, the second sidewall 152,the third sidewall 153, and the fourth sidewall 154 from a free side toan inner side of the blank 10. The fourth sidewall 154 is extended froma corresponding edge of the connecting section 12. The third sidewall153 is extended from an edge of the fourth sidewall 154. The secondsidewall 152 is extended from an edge of the third sidewall 153. Thefirst sidewall 151 is extended from an edge of the second sidewall 152.A first crease 141 is defined between the first sidewall 151 and thesecond sidewall 152. A second crease 142 is defined between the secondsidewall 152 and the third sidewall 153. A third crease 143 is definedbetween the third sidewall 153 and the fourth sidewall 154. A fourthcrease 144 is defined between the fourth sidewall 154 and the connectingsection 12. An edge 140 of the first sidewall 151, the first crease 141,the second crease 142, the third crease 143, and the fourth crease 144are parallel to one another. Widths of the first sidewall 151, thesecond sidewall 152, and the third sidewall 153 are equal to oneanother. The fourth sidewall 154 is greater in width than the sidewalls151, 152, 153 by an amount equal to a thickness of the blank 10. Therectangular through hole 16 is defined in each said four sidewallsacross the second crease 142 between the first crease 141 and secondcrease 143.

A left half of FIG. 3 shows front elevational views of the blank 10 atdifferent stages of folding in forming the packing member 1, and a righthalf shows bottom plan views of the left half. As FIG. 3 indicates, thefirst sidewall 151 of each said four sidewalls is folded along the firstcrease 141 and perpendicular to the second sidewall 152. The secondsidewall 152 of each said four sidewalls is folded along the secondcrease 142 and perpendicular to the third sidewall 153. The thirdsidewall 153 of each of the four sidewalls is folded along the thirdcrease 143 and perpendicular to the fourth sidewall 154. The fourthsidewall 154 of each said four sidewalls is folded along the fourthcrease 144 and perpendicular to the connecting section 12. The firstsidewall 151 of each of the four sidewalls is bonded to a correspondingside of the connecting section 12.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in packing a product 2, two packing members1 are symmetrically placed at opposites sides of the product 2 with theboxes 14 facing each other. The receiving holes 16 of the packingmembers 1 cooperate to form a receiving space for receivingcorresponding corners or ends of the product 2. The combined assembly ofthe two packing members 1 and the product 2 is put into an outer packingmember 3.

Referring to FIG. 6, a packing member 5 in accordance with a secondpreferred embodiment of the present invention includes a first sidewall51, a second sidewall 52, a third sidewall 53, a fourth sidewall 54, anda fifth sidewall 55. The first sidewall 51 is perpendicular to thesecond sidewall 52 and bonded to the fifth sidewall 55. The secondsidewall 52 is perpendicular to the third sidewall 53. The thirdsidewall 53 of is perpendicular to the fourth sidewall 54. The fourthsidewall 54 is perpendicular to the first sidewall 51. The secondsidewall 52 and the fourth sidewall 54 are located between the firstsidewall 51 and the third sidewall 53. The first sidewall 51, the secondsidewall 52, the third sidewall 53 and the fourth sidewall 54 enclose athrough hole 50. A receiving hole 58 is defined in the second sidewall52 and the third sidewall 53. The receiving hole 58 communicates withthe through hole 50. The first sidewall 51, the second sidewall 52, thethird sidewall 53, the fourth sidewall 54, and the through hole 50 makeup of a hollow box of rectangular parallelepiped. The product 2 ispacked with four packing members 5.

In other preferred embodiments, the box can be triangular, pentagonal,hexagonal, or the like.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent thatvarious changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its materialadvantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferredor exemplary embodiments of the invention.

1. A packing member, comprising: a hollow box which is formed by atleast three sidewalls, the hollow box defining a through hole which isenclosed by said at least three sidewalls, a receiving hole beingdefined in at least one of said at least three sidewalls for receivingan end of a product.
 2. The packing member as claimed in claim 1,wherein the box comprise four sidewalls which forms a box of rectangularparallelepiped with two opposite open ends communicating with thethrough hole, said box orderly comprises a first sidewall beingperpendicular to a second sidewall, the second sidewall beingperpendicular to a third sidewall, the third sidewall beingperpendicular to a fourth sidewall, the fourth sidewall beingperpendicular to the first sidewall.
 3. The packing member as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the box further comprise a fifth sidewall, the firstsidewall and the fifth sidewall being bonded together.
 4. The packingmember as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receiving hole is defined in ajoint between the second sidewall and the third sidewall.
 5. The packingmember as claimed in claim 1, further comprising another box, and aconnecting section connected between the two boxes, the connectingsection and the two boxes being integrally folded from a blank.
 6. Thepacking member as claimed in claim 5, wherein the packing member has asymmetrical shape, and each of the boxes orderly comprises a firstsidewall being perpendicular to a second sidewall, the second sidewallof each box being perpendicular to a third sidewall, the third sidewallof each box being perpendicular to a fourth sidewall, the fourthsidewall of each box being perpendicular to the first sidewall and bentfrom the connecting section.
 7. The packing member as claimed in claim6, wherein the first sidewall of each box is bonded to a correspondingside of the connecting section.
 8. The packing member as claimed inclaim 7, wherein the receiving hole of each box is defined in a jointbetween the second sidewall and the third sidewall, and the receivingholes of the two boxes face toward each other.
 9. A method formanufacturing the packing member set forth in claim 1, comprising thesteps of: preparing a flat blank; defining the at least three sidewallsone by one in the blank from a first side to a second side opposite tothe first side of the blank by at least two spaced creases parallel tothe first side of the blank, said at least three sidewalls beingseparated by said creases; defining a through hole in at least onesidewall of said at least three sidewalls; and folding each sidewall ofsaid at least three sidewalls along a corresponding crease sequentiallyto make the at least three sidewalls form the box.
 10. The method formanufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 9, wherein said atleast three sidewalls orderly from the first side to the second side ofthe blank comprises a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a thirdsidewall, and a forth sidewall, and alternately defines a first crease,a second crease, and a third crease, the first sidewall being foldedalong the first crease and perpendicular to the second sidewall, thesecond sidewall being folded along the second crease and perpendicularto the third sidewall, the third sidewall being folded along the thirdcrease and perpendicular to the fourth sidewall, the fourth sidewallbeing perpendicular to the first sidewall.
 11. The method formanufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 10, wherein theblank further orderly comprises a fifth sidewall, and a fourth crease,the fifth sidewall and the fourth sidewall being separated by the fourthcrease, the fifth sidewall being folded along the fourth crease andperpendicular to the fourth sidewall, the fifth sidewall and the firstsidewall being bonded together.
 12. The method for manufacturing thepacking member as claimed in claim 11, wherein the through hole isdefined in a joint between the second sidewall and the third sidewall.13. The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim9, further comprising steps of: defining another at least threesidewalls one by one from the second side to the first side of the blankby another at least two spaced creases that are parallel to the secondside of the blank, said another at least three sidewalls being separatedby said another at least two said creases, a connecting section beingconnected between the two at least three sidewalls; defining a throughhole in said another at least three sidewalls; and folding each sidewallof said another at least three sidewalls along a corresponding crease tomake said another at least three sidewalls form another box connectedwith said box by the connecting section.
 14. The method formanufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 13, wherein theblank has a symmetrical shape, each of said at least three sidewalls andsaid another at least three sidewalls from a corresponding free side toan inner side of the blank comprises a first sidewall, a secondsidewall, a third sidewall, and a forth sidewall, and alternatelydefines a first crease, a second crease, and a third crease, each of thesecond sidewalls being folded along the corresponding first crease andperpendicular to the corresponding first sidewall, each of the thirdsidewalls being folded along the corresponding second crease andperpendicular to the corresponding second sidewall, each of the fourthsidewalls being folded along the corresponding third crease andperpendicular to the corresponding third sidewall, each of the fourthsidewalls being perpendicular to the corresponding first sidewall. 15.The method for manufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 14,wherein each of said at least three sidewalls and said another at leastthree sidewalls further comprises a fourth crease, the connectingsection and each of the fourth sidewalls being separated by thecorresponding fourth crease, each of the fourth sidewalls being foldedalong the corresponding fourth crease and perpendicular to theconnecting section, each of the first sidewalls being bonded to acorresponding side of the connecting section.
 16. The method formanufacturing the packing member as claimed in claim 15, wherein thethrough hole of each of said at least three sidewalls and said anotherat least three sidewalls is defined in the corresponding second sidewalland the corresponding third sidewall.
 17. A packing member assemblycomprising: a product having two opposite sides; two pairs of boxesarranged at the two opposite sides of the product respectively, eachpair of boxes cooperatively sandwiching the product therebetween at acorresponding side of the product, each of the boxes comprising a firstsidewall, at least a middle sidewall, and a last sidewall beingsequentially connected together, the first sidewall connecting with thelast sidewall to thereby form a through hole enclosed by said sidewallsexcept two ends of the box, a receiving hole being defined in saidsidewalls and communicating with the through hole, the receiving holesof each pair of boxes facing toward each other and holding opposite endsof the corresponding side of the product therein.
 18. The packing memberassembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the product has a cuboid shapewith four ridges parallel to the sidewalls, and each of the boxescomprises two middle sidewalls connected between the first and lastsidewalls, any two neighboring sidewalls being perpendicularlyconnected, the first sidewall perpendicularly connected with the lastsidewall, the receiving hole of each box being defined in a jointbetween the middle sidewalls and receiving a corresponding ridge of theproduct.
 19. The packing member assembly as claimed in claim 18, whereineach pair of boxes are connected together by a connecting wallconnecting with the last sidewalls thereof, the first sidewalls of eachpair of boxes overlapped portions of the connecting wall and bonding tosaid portions respectively.
 20. The packing member assembly as claimedin claim 18, wherein each pair of boxes are separated from each otherand each of the boxes further comprises a connecting wall extending fromthe last sidewall and being overlapped and bonded to the first sidewall.